Pittsburgh Steelers Thread

dfx- · 15-10-2019 12:28pm

I don't think there's much chance of Hargrave getting the money at the Steelers he's going to get elsewhere like Jesse James. It was being touted that if they were 2-4/2-5ish at the trade deadline, it would be worthwhile to get something for him because he's not staying. There has supposedly been very little conversation between the two on staying.

Hopefully Haden is ok too. Him going off brought in Artie Burns with the expected calamitous consequences. Cam Sutton really impressed I have to say.

The_Honeybadger · 15-10-2019 2:13pm

Yeah there is a lot of money tied up in the D line already with Cam Heyward and Tuitt on big deals. That said, Hargrave, Hilton and Bud Dupree are all up at the end of the year and they surely have to use their first two picks on offence.

Main thing for next year is get Ben back and get some weapons around him to help move the ball. 2019 is looking like a lost season due to injuries and the loss of AB.

Sutton is looking very good and the whole secondary is looking better, albeit that tendency to give up big plays at times is still there.

dfx- · 15-10-2019 3:24pm

The worry is how long is it going to take to get the offense right? It has taken seven straight years in the draft + Fitzpatrick and Haden to get the defense up to this level.

The_Honeybadger · 15-10-2019 4:58pm

It’s easier to ‘fix’ an offence I think, especially if you can get another year or two out of Ben at a good level. Who know what way he will be when he gets back though.

The_Honeybadger · 29-10-2019 10:42am

Fair play to Rudolph to recover after a horrendous start, it would have been easy to fall apart at 14-0 with the crowd booing the team. He kept drives going after that albeit with some great plays from his receivers. He is not near ready to be a starter and may never be but thats his second win in four starts.

Two big home games coming up now v Colts and Rams they need to be winning at least one of those if there is to be any faint hope of a playoff run.

Conner apparently sustained an AC Joint injury in garbage time hope he’ll be ok, he was great last night, Nix made a big difference when he was in there.

dfx- · 29-10-2019 11:55am

Not hugely positive after that given the opposition. In fairness to the booing fans, Hurns breaking four 'tackles' at the goalline for his TD deserves criticism after Rudolph throwing INTs and underthrowing the ball.

14-3 at halftime and Miami gives up a touchdown. Looking at the highlights, there was a lot of 1st and 20, 3rd and long completions. The Colts and Rams won't be as accommodating.

I don't think the offense is anywhere near good enough for a playoff, but it's important to make the record respectable to reflect the defense. They are better than the 3-4 record.

The_Honeybadger · 29-10-2019 1:06pm

Yeah the Ravens should win the division pulling up but you never know.

The offence is bad and it’s hard to see where improvement will come from but while they are mathematical in it I’ll keep some hope.

OOnegative · 03-11-2019 10:15pm

Great win versus the Colts, Fitzpatrick has been on fire INT wise since his trade!! Back up to .500 not getting excited but it’s positive, a win is a win.

The_Honeybadger · 03-11-2019 10:44pm

A bit lucky but I think they were due one of those. Colts are a good team but they were missing some big names and obviously lost Brissett early.

Rams are next up at Heinz again. That’s going to be a tough one. If they somehow manage to win that then a WC spot is very much a possibility.

OOnegative · 04-11-2019 12:37am

Fitzpatrick has 4 INT since we traded for him, maybe few more and that 1st we gave the Dolphins for him might not seem like bad business.

The_Honeybadger · 04-11-2019 1:02am

OOnegative wrote: »

Fitzpatrick has 4 INT since we traded for him, maybe few more and that 1st we gave the Dolphins for him might not seem like bad business.

It was a great trade. He is a proven commodity at this stage and the Steelers have a very rocky record of picking DB’s in the first round. He looks like he could be the top FS in football in the future.

The trade I am still not sold on is the Bush one. I think he will be very good but the opportunity cost of getting him was huge. They had no second rounder this year and no third next year due to that trade. Looking at who they will lose in free agency they are going to have lots of holes to fill. Dupree, Hargrave, Hilton are all starters that will be gone next year and the OLine is creaking big time, Villanueva Pouncey and Foster are struggling and Feiler is only ok and is also hitting free agency. Those picks they gave away were very valuable.

OOnegative · 04-11-2019 1:14am

The_Honeybadger wrote: »

It was a great trade. He is a proven commodity at this stage and the Steelers have a very rocky record of picking DB’s in the first round. He looks like he could be the top FS in football in the future.

The trade I am still not sold on is the Bush one. I think he will be very good but the opportunity cost of getting him was huge. They had no second rounder this year and no third next year due to that trade. Looking at who they will lose in free agency they are going to have lots of holes to fill. Dupree, Hargrave, Hilton are all starters that will be gone next year and the OLine is creaking big time, Villanueva Pouncey and Foster are struggling and Feiler is only ok and is also hitting free agency. Those picks they gave away were very valuable.

Have they not picked up a 3rd next year as a result of releasing Moncrief? Dupree ain’t a massive lose nor is Hargrave. Hilton isn’t a player to lose but that’s a personal choice really. O Line as been particularly poor this year, a strength we’ve relinquished.

The_Honeybadger · 04-11-2019 1:29am

OOnegative wrote: »

Have they not picked up a 3rd next year as a result of releasing Moncrief? Dupree ain’t a massive lose nor is Hargrave. Hilton isn’t a player to lose but that’s a personal choice really. O Line as been particularly poor this year, a strength we’ve relinquished.

They get a comp pick in the third hopefully which is effectively a fourth rounder.

Dupree has been a disappointment overall as a first rounder but he has been absolutely balling this year and they don’t have a ready made replacement on the roster. Hargrave is really solid IMO and one of those guys you’ll only miss when he is gone. Sutton has stepped up to mitigate the loss of Hilton but either way they are going to have depth issues next year and no picks to fill the holes. They have very limited cap room to work FA either because they have a lot of young guys to extend.

Don’t get me wrong I like Devin Bush but a couple of additional day 2 players would be huge going forward.

OOnegative · 04-11-2019 1:35am

The_Honeybadger wrote: »

They get a comp pick in the third hopefully which is effectively a fourth rounder.

Dupree has been a disappointment overall as a first rounder but he has been absolutely balling this year and they don’t have a ready made replacement on the roster. Hargrave is really solid IMO and one of those guys you’ll only miss when he is gone. Sutton has stepped up to mitigate the loss of Hilton but either way they are going to have depth issues next year and no picks to fill the holes. They have very limited cap room to work FA either because they have a lot of young guys to extend.

Don’t get me wrong I like Devin Bush but a couple of additional day 2 players would be huge going forward.

But does Dupree not look better because of Watt? In years to come the Bush deal will seem like a steal(fingers crossed as I type). In reality in two years time we are looking at a complete overhaul of the team.

OOnegative · 04-11-2019 1:38am

As I typed I see Bud had 6 sacks on the season!!

The_Honeybadger · 04-11-2019 1:45am

OOnegative wrote: »

But does Dupree not look better because of Watt? In years to come the Bush deal will seem like a steal(fingers crossed as I type). In reality in two years time we are looking at a complete overhaul of the team.

Yeah they are double teaming Watt but Dupree has also stepped forward IMO. It’s an absolutely key position and all the good pass rushers will be gone by the second round.

The nuclear option is to get Ben off the roster and save $40m over 2020/21 and extend Dupree or get a free agent like Barrett who will also cost a fortune. If Hargrave is gone they also need a DT because Cam is getting old and Tuitt cannot finish a season. And that’s before we even get started on the issues on the offence!

The_Honeybadger · 04-11-2019 1:48am

OOnegative wrote: »

As I typed I see Bud had 6 sacks on the season!!

Yep, he is a different animal this year. Question is whether that is purely because he is in a contract year? You could pay him and then he goes back to being Dud Dupree

OOnegative · 04-11-2019 8:10pm

The_Honeybadger wrote: »

Yep, he is a different animal this year. Question is whether that is purely because he is in a contract year? You could pay him and then he goes back to being Dud Dupree

https://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/31364/playing-for-contract-steelers-lb-bud-dupree-continues-monster-streak

The_Honeybadger · 04-11-2019 10:47pm

OOnegative wrote: »

https://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/31364/playing-for-contract-steelers-lb-bud-dupree-continues-monster-streak

Yeah that’s pretty much what I was saying, he will get in to double digit sacks this year for the first time and he was always really good against the run. He is a good OLB now and not someone they can afford to lose.

It’s worth noting that they changed OLB coaches in the off season. Keith Butler does this since they let Porter go, this was Butlers original role and he was excellent at it. I’d say that has as much to do with it as the contract year. He has probably priced himself out of Pittsburgh. I could see another 3-4 team like the Giants picking him up as they rebuild.

dfx- · 05-11-2019 1:46pm

FAI Cup final on Sunday, so was only dropping in and out of this game for updates in the 4th quarter.

Looks like a very fortunate win, but it also looks like AFC North is there for Baltimore, so this could be a huge win for a wildcard if the Colts are second in the AFC South. Bills to come too who look strong for 2nd place in the East.

Of all the games to come, the Rams is maybe the one they could afford to lose as it's out of conference. The Browns don't look as imposing as they might have. So there's a little less pressure. 7-5 would be a cracking record to have...

The_Honeybadger · 05-11-2019 7:19pm

Ravens have been hugely impressive past two weeks beating both Seattle and New England. It’s theirs to lose.

Steelers are remarkably competitive given their injuries but they have a big issue with Redzone offence, best I can see them doing with the remaining schedule is 8-8 tbh.

The_Honeybadger · 11-11-2019 2:13am

Best defensive performance of the year. They have the Browns x 2 and the Bengals in the next three games if they win two of those the wildcard is still very possible.

Offence is just nowhere near good enough though. What a pity Ben got injured and AB lost his mind.

OOnegative · 11-11-2019 2:42am

The_Honeybadger wrote: »

AB lost his mind.

They are much better off without someone like him regardless of his production in the past!! Defense was top again and Fitzpatrick was well worth the price they invested in him.

We ain’t making any Wildcard though.

The_Honeybadger · 11-11-2019 2:57am

OOnegative wrote: »

They are much better off without someone like him regardless of his production in the past!! Defense was top again and Fitzpatrick was well worth the price they invested in him.

We ain’t making any Wildcard though.

Yeah the true AB has been revealed over the past while and I wouldn’t want him back but he was awesome in Pittsburgh. He is still taking up $20m of their cap as it happens!

Wildcard is a long shot but the Colts messed up today and the Steelers have the Browns x 2, @Bengals, @Cardinals,Bills, @Jets and then the @Ravens in the final game, mainly bad teams. The way the D is playing they need not be afraid of anything there and the AFC is particularly weak at the minute. As bad as the offence is Washington and Johnson look to be improved and Mason took a few shots tonight. The big issue is the run game, they cannot run the ball at all and you can’t beat better teams without a run game.

If they make it to the WC they will almost certainly be one and done but I’m not ruling them out just yet

dfx- · 11-11-2019 11:17am

Bills losing to the Browns and Colts losing to the Dolphins really means the Wildcard is genuinely on.

But in truth, the game last night was a 15-20 point win narrowed down to 5 points because of the offense. The offense scored 10 points for the Steelers and 9 points for the Rams.

The Rams' fake punt that was intercepted on the Rams 35 ends up in a penalty, sack and punt. That's not good enough.

1:35 left and they go three and out giving the Rams another chance.

The_Honeybadger · 11-11-2019 11:41am

Yes offence is just woeful. They need Conner and Nix healthy down the stretch to help keep the chains moving and not have it all on the D to win games.

They’ll probably slip up in one or two of those very winnable looking games but I’m glad there is still something to cheer for at this stage. I honestly thought they were heading for 4-12 when Ben went down.

Kirk Van Houten · 11-11-2019 12:26pm

Rudolph got absolutely no help last night. He actually started to look comfortable pushing the ball down the field when it was on. I'm not sure if that was due to him reads quicker and better, being more comfortable as he gains experience or the fact Fichtner had no other option than to be more aggressive with play calling due to the lack of a run game and defences waiting for the pass behind the line is scrimmage.
The defence is outstanding. Minkah is looking like Colbert robbed the Dolphins. Steelers effectively got to see how he looked in the NFL and only gave up a first round pick anyway. The secondary have upped their performances from last season and the we are putting pressure on the QB without having to scheme too much and risk the big play.
The Steelers desperately need to get Connor and Snell fit. They also need to do something about Fichtners play calling and ultra conservative approach. Rudolph will make mistakes like the safety's from the last two weeks but has also shown he can move the ball. Better hands from the receivers and that game could have been out of sight. Can't keep relying on the defence to bail them out.

The_Honeybadger · 11-11-2019 2:21pm

Rudolph was better, he outplayed Goff last night. MR can do enough to win games but the receivers need to make those uncontested catches that they dropped. Some of them were on third downs and looked like bread and butter passes to an NFL WR.

The Washington fumble was infuriating too after a great catch and run, they had momentum there and could well have gone in for a score. He has stepped up the past two weeks generally speaking though.

dfx- · 14-11-2019 5:08pm

I think where the frustration lies is that nobody is asking for greatest offense on turf or 30 points-per-game stuff like a couple of years ago with Bell/Ben/Brown/Bryant and Heath.

Given some of the starting positions on offense with turnovers, they can't move the chains once and are getting into 3rd and 5+ all the time. Boswell is back in form, he could kick wins with this defense, but they're nowhere near even the 30 yard line for a 40 yard kick.

The_Honeybadger · 14-11-2019 10:53pm

dfx- wrote: »

I think where the frustration lies is that nobody is asking for greatest offense on turf or 30 points-per-game stuff like a couple of years ago with Bell/Ben/Brown/Bryant and Heath.

Given some of the starting positions on offense with turnovers, they can't move the chains once and are getting into 3rd and 5+ all the time. Boswell is back in form, he could kick wins with this defense, but they're nowhere near even the 30 yard line for a 40 yard kick.

Yes very frustrating and I don’t know how they fix it with so little draft capital after the Minkah and Bush trades. Despite all the criticism Mason is getting if you plugged a healthy Ben in there I think that offence would still struggle.

Anybody staying up for the Browns tonight? Hopefully the Steelers front seven have a big night again and force Mayfield in to mistakes but I think they are going to be very dangerous, they’ll probably use Chubb and Hunt a lot. Too close to call. Wish I could stay up for it

The_Honeybadger · 15-11-2019 4:01am

Watched to half time. Browns better in every way so far and up 14-0 albeit with some help from officials who are ignoring persistent blatant holding on their OLine

Conner and juju gone with injuries and the offence has been predictably terrible. Conner is made of glass and they need to move on from him imo. OLine is getting absolutely owned as well. Will be pleasantly surprised in the AM if this isn’t a blowout

Kirk Van Houten · 15-11-2019 8:29am

Nasty scenes at the end. Hope there isn't any Steelers suspensions on top of the injuries to Connor, JuJu and others.

The_Honeybadger · 15-11-2019 10:29am

Pouncey will almost certainly get a suspension for his part in it after the helmet strike. It’ll be interesting to see what they do with Garrett I can’t think of a precedent for what he did it was almost assault. You’d have to imagine that his season is over and he will be lucky if they leave it at that.
Really did not like the helmet charges on Juju and Johnson either, there was a whiff of headhunting about it, this Browns team have a really nasty / dirty streak.

As for the Steelers the offence is toothless when it’s at full strength never mind when they are missing their WR1, WR2 and RB1. Rudolph will get slated for his performance but he had to try and chase the game while throwing to a bunch of practice squad guys like Jones and Holton. Hopefully the injuries are not serious.

corner back 2 · 15-11-2019 10:38am

The_Honeybadger wrote: »

Pouncey will almost certainly get a suspension for his part in it after the helmet strike. It’ll be interesting to see what they do with Garrett I can’t think of a precedent for what he did it was almost assault. You’d have to imagine that his season is over and he will be lucky if they leave it at that.
Really did not like the helmet charges on Juju and Johnson either, there was a whiff of headhunting about it, this Browns team have a really nasty / dirty streak.

As for the Steelers the offence is toothless when it’s at full strength never mind when they are missing their WR1, WR2 and RB1. Rudolph will get slated for his performance but he had to try and chase the game while throwing to a bunch of practice squad guys like Jones and Holton. Hopefully the injuries are not serious.

Not a Steelers fan but just watched the game this morning. 100% agree that the browns were headhunting. A number of helmet to helmet hits went unpunished before the one on Johnson. Hate dirty teams and the browns were definitely that last night.

OOnegative · 15-11-2019 10:47am

No almost assault about it, if he did that on the street he’d be arrested & to a guy who’s missed time already this season due to concussion issues. Plain cowardly act from Garrett and I hope he gets a long suspension. Cleveland have turned from a plain rubbish team into a nasty, dirty one!! Where is the offensive show Baker and the lads were going to put on this year, most ejections in a season since ‘01 at 4 already this year.

The_Honeybadger · 15-11-2019 12:30pm

OOnegative wrote: »

No almost assault about it, if he did that on the street he’d be arrested & to a guy who’s missed time already this season due to concussion issues. Plain cowardly act from Garrett and I hope he gets a long suspension. Cleveland have turned from a plain rubbish team into a nasty, dirty one!! Where is the offensive show Baker and the lads were going to put on this year, most ejections in a season since ‘01 at 4 already this year.

Don’t forget this is the same guy that ended Trevor Siemians season not long ago with another late QB hit. I follow him on social media and he seems like an extremely likeable guy in person but he really needs to examine his on-field behaviour.

I see on twitter that the panel on NFL network are scrambling to make excuses for him this morning saying Rudolph started it etc, even though there is a bit of truth in that Garretts overreaction was absolutely psychotic and he needs a long suspension whether he is a former #1 pick or not. The leagues sanctions are really inconsistent though so nothing would surprise me.

Kirk Van Houten · 15-11-2019 5:59pm

Three games for Pouncey.
Garrett indefinite suspension.

Edit. Just realized the Pouncey suspension will mean he doesn't get to face the Browns again.

dfx- · 15-11-2019 7:04pm

...who filled in for Pouncey when he was injured a few seasons back?

Ben would probably have paid Pouncey's fine had it been him.

The_Honeybadger · 15-11-2019 7:11pm

Bj Finney is the backup center and he is decent. I think Pouncey is carrying an injury anyway he hasn’t been himself

The_Honeybadger · 17-11-2019 2:27pm

https://twitter.com/steelers/status/1195816692099768321?s=21

I wonder if this means Juju, DJ and Conner are going to miss a bit of time, would not be surprised if Conner is put on IR, what a disastrous season for him.

Brooks-James did as well as any UDFA could be reasonably expected to, surprised they are cutting him.

OOnegative · 22-11-2019 11:44pm

No JuJu or Conner Sunday v the Bengals!! As The Honeybadger stated already, Connor as much as we all want him to do well, but the lad is made of glass and doesn’t look like the future for the organisation at RB.

On another note, Bell is having his worst statistical season since entering the league with the Jets. Shows what a great OLine did for him in Pittsburgh!!

The_Honeybadger · 23-11-2019 12:29pm

Certainly can’t take the bengals for granted here. They are awful, but as above the Steelers really have no run game and no proven pass threat right now. If juju and Conner aren’t back for the Browns the following week I really don’t see how the Steelers score points in that game. It has been an absolutely incredible season injuries wise.

dfx- · 24-11-2019 8:19pm

Any chance of Boswell scoring TDs too - Berry is the best player on offense, so it's worth a try.

The_Honeybadger · 24-11-2019 8:47pm

Rudolph has been abysmal since he came back from his concussion, he was somewhat serviceable before that. Perhaps it’s just that teams have figured him out and are taking away his easy throws. Can’t see where an offensive TD is coming from here against one of the worst teams in football.

OOnegative · 24-11-2019 9:34pm

The_Honeybadger wrote: »

Rudolph has been abysmal since he came back from his concussion, he was somewhat serviceable before that. Perhaps it’s just that teams have figured him out and are taking away his easy throws. Can’t see where an offensive TD is coming from here against one of the worst teams in football.

For a man who was all bravado when he was drafted, intimating he was going to take the mantle from Ben no problem!!! He's pi$$ poor, benched since for the Duck.

OOnegative · 24-11-2019 9:46pm

Fantastic rip by Bush then pick-up by Minkah!!! Only for the D!!!

dfx- · 24-11-2019 10:36pm

Positive out of that is it was 13-3 from when Hodges took over. No only that but there were drives:eek: and plays:eek:

Vance McDonald doing his bit to get the run game going...:D

https://twitter.com/Alex_Kozora/status/1198715008198332418

The_Honeybadger · 24-11-2019 11:28pm

Hodges looks more confident and mobile than Rudolph and I think you have to stick with him now for a while at least. After the two big throws to Washington he didn’t do a whole lot but a win is a win. Washington looks ready to break out if he had a bit of quality and stability at QB.

Snell got near 100 yards, I know it was only the Bengals but it was by far his best performance so far.

The_Honeybadger · 01-12-2019 10:18pm

Great effort from the Steelers today, defence continues to be so disruptive and a good improvement from the offence. They look a lot better with Duck in there.

At 7-5 and sitting in that final WC spot, didn’t think we’d have meaningful football at this stage.

OOnegative · 01-12-2019 10:38pm

The_Honeybadger wrote: »

Great effort from the Steelers today, defence continues to be so disruptive and a good improvement from the offence. They look a lot better with Duck in there.

At 7-5 and sitting in that final WC spot, didn’t think we’d have meaningful football at this stage.

5 sacks for the D, 111 yards receiving for Washington off 4 targets and 63 yards rushing for Snell. Delighted they won, could use so much more disparaging remarks relating to the Browns but I won’t. Mayfield is a wanker......

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